British Airways intends to retire its entire 747 fleet ‘with immediate effect’, bringing forward the aircraft’s complete withdrawal by three years. The airline notified staff via letter, and subsequently publicly confirmed, its intention to remove the 747 from service. As of March, when the airline began grounding aircraft in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, British Airways operated a fleet of 30 747-400s, including three in special heritage liveries.
Where are the British Airways 747s now?
As of 16 July, 14 of BA’s 747s are in Cardiff (CWL) where the airline performs heavy maintenance on its widebody fleet. Two have flown to Kemble (GBA), five to Teruel (TEV), and nine remain at London-Heathrow (LHR).
| Registration | Aircraft Type | Serial Number (MSN) | Age | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G-BNLY | Boeing 747-436 | 27090 | 27 years | CWL |
| G-BYGA | Boeing 747-436 | 28855 | 21 years | CWL |
| G-BYGB | Boeing 747-436 | 28856 | 21 years | CWL |
| G-BYGC | Boeing 747-436 | 25823 | 21 years | CWL |
| G-BYGD | Boeing 747-436 | 28857 | 21 years | CWL |
| G-BYGE | Boeing 747-436 | 28858 | 21 years | CWL |
| G-BYGF | Boeing 747-436 | 25824 | 21 years | LHR |
| G-BYGG | Boeing 747-436 | 28859 | 21 years | CWL |
| G-CIVA | Boeing 747-436 | 27092 | 27 years | TEV |
| G-CIVB | Boeing 747-436 | 25811 | 26 years | LHR |
| G-CIVC | Boeing 747-436 | 25812 | 26 years | CWL |
| G-CIVD | Boeing 747-436 | 27349 | 25 years | LHR |
| G-CIVE | Boeing 747-436 | 27350 | 25 years | LHR |
| G-CIVF | Boeing 747-436 | 25434 | 25 years | CWL |
| G-CIVH | Boeing 747-436 | 25809 | 24 years | LHR |
| G-CIVI | Boeing 747-436 | 25814 | 24 years | LHR |
| G-CIVJ | Boeing 747-436 | 25817 | 23 years | GBA |
| G-CIVK | Boeing 747-436 | 25818 | 23 years | LHR |
| G-CIVL | Boeing 747-436 | 27478 | 23 years | GBA |
| G-CIVO | Boeing 747-436 | 28849 | 22 years | CWL |
| G-CIVP | Boeing 747-436 | 28850 | 22 years | LHR |
| G-CIVR | Boeing 747-436 | 25820 | 22 years | TEV |
| G-CIVS | Boeing 747-436 | 28851 | 22 years | TEV |
| G-CIVT | Boeing 747-436 | 25821 | 22 years | TEV |
| G-CIVU | Boeing 747-436 | 25810 | 22 years | CWL |
| G-CIVV | Boeing 747-436 | 25819 | 22 years | CWL |
| G-CIVW | Boeing 747-436 | 25822 | 22 years | CWL |
| G-CIVX | Boeing 747-436 | 28852 | 21 years | TEV |
| G-CIVY | Boeing 747-436 | 28853 | 21 years | LHR |
| G-CIVZ | Boeing 747-436 | 28854 | 21 years | CWL |
Tracking the fleet
While the Queen of the Skies is likely done carrying passengers for British Airways, there will likely be addition flights into storage. The map below shows all active British Airways 747 flights.
